Akane? What's Wrong?
by JeremyGU
Summary: Ranma and Akane have fought against a million demons, monsters, and people intent on getting a piece of one of them. This time, they're up against an enemy that no amount of martial arts can defeat.
1. Have you been feeling okay?

Zzzzzzzzz!

Ranma swung his hand around wildly, looking for the snooze button.

Zzzzzzzzz!

Opening his eyes just far enough to squint, Ranma located the alarm clock and hit the button to give himself an extra nine minutes of shuteye.

Zzzzzzzzz!

"Damn it!" Ranma yelled. Stupid clock. He grabbed it firmly, and with one motion, unplugged it from the wall and sent it sailing through the window. "Today's off to a good start," he muttered. Wiping his eyes, he walked sleepily across the room to his dresser. A shirt lay on top. 'Was this clean?' he thought. He picked it up and smelled it.

No!

Gagging and slightly more awake, Ranma rummaged through the top drawer until he found a clean shirt and pants. He dressed himself and quietly opened the door to the hallway. Pop was sleeping in, and the last thing he needed was a fight in the morning for waking his dad up.

Akane studied herself in the mirror. She didn't feel well today. In fact, she hadn't felt well yesterday, either. She knew Kasumi would be making breakfast at that moment, but she wasn't the slightest bit hungry. Just the thought of food made her feel queasy. She hoped she didn't get sick again like yesterday. She'd swear she had morning sickness, except she and Ranma hadn't done anything.

Her wandering mind provided some relief from her symptoms. Morning sickness.. heh. There was only one thing that caused that, and the thought of it made her smile ear-to-ear. Even though she'd only known Ranma for about a year, her once angry thoughts of him turned wishful when she imagined a life married to him. With the whole thing planned, it would only be a couple of years out of high school before they were married and starting a family. At least, she hoped Ranma wanted a family. She did.

A feeling of weakness dragged her from her happy thoughts. She steadied herself and walked slowly out toward the living room.

Ranma was already seated at the breakfast table when Akane entered. She sat down but didn't take any food. Ranma eyed her suspiciously. He'd never admit it to her, but he had feelings for her. Strong feelings. Right now, those feelings were of worry. For the past couple of weeks, Akane seemed to be getting more and more tired. At first, he thought she might have been overextending herself at school. After all, she was pairing her advanced placement classes (that Ranma couldn't get into) with time in the skate club. Then, a couple of days ago, he realized there was more to it. Akane started to look pale, and he was pretty sure she was losing weight. Not a lot, but enough to notice. Then, she told him that she'd been sick the day before. Akane caught him staring. "What's the matter?" she asked, noticing the concern in his eyes. He shook his head and finished his breakfast.

They walked out into the cool late-September air. The leaves had turned colors, and in places they fluttered lazily to the ground. As they walked to school, Ranma swore he'd confess his feelings to Akane at some point during the season. As great as Christmas was, and summer for having no school, there was something about the autumn sky that brought out his soft side.

"Looks like we're going to be raking pretty soon, huh?" he asked to break the silence. Akane looked around. "Yeah, looks like it," she answered. Ranma studied her for a moment. She'd put on her yellow sweater on account of the chilly weather- she looked so pretty in that sweater.

"Hey, Akane?"

"Huh?"

"Have you been feeling okay?"

Akane was taken aback. She knew she'd been a little off lately, but she didn't realize it was noticeable. "I think I might be getting the flu or something, why?"

"You've been looking kinda pale. And you're always tired. I was just... I dunno... worried about you..."

For the second time that day, the happy feelings Akane felt pulled her away from the way she was feeling.

* * *

The walk home didn't help to set Ranma's mind at ease. Akane hadn't wanted to eat at lunch; it was only with Ranma's coaxing that she ate half a pork bun. If it hadn't been noticeable earlier, the fact that she was unusually pale was definitely noticeable in the afternoon sun. They made it home and were greeted at the door by Kasumi.

"Hello, you two! How was school today?" Kasumi asked. "I think I caught something," Akane answered. "I'm going to go lie down in my room." Akane trudged up the steps. The worry in Kasumi's eyes told Ranma that he wasn't the only one noticing a change in her. "Ranma, has Akane seemed different to you lately?" she asked. Ranma looked at her, but he couldn't seem to get his voice to work.

Kasumi hung the phone up. "Dr. Tofu said he doesn't have any appointments. We can stop by any time." "Thank God," Ranma replied. "I'll go get Akane." He headed up the steps to Akane's room. She was sleeping on her bed; the fact that she hadn't changed out of her school uniform told him that she'd barely gotten there.

"Akane?" he said. He shook her gently. Her eyes opened. "Oh, Ranma! If Kasumi's cooking dinner, tell her I'm not really hungry. This bug I've got has me really wiped out." Ranma sighed and sat on the bed; Akane sat up in surprise. "Akane..." he began, but lost his voice again. Akane put her hand on his arm. He was shocked by how pale her skin was. "What's wrong, Ranma?" she asked. "Kasumi and I want you to go see Dr. Tofu. You haven't looked well in a couple of weeks and we're really... scared." Akane was both touched and worried by the sincerety in his voice. "Sure, Ranma, let me change and we'll go."

They walked to Dr. Tofu's clinic in silence. Akane's mind was filled with thoughts of how Ranma was acting so worried; Ranma's mind was filled with, well, worry. He wasn't a particularly religious person, but as they entered the clinic, he said a prayer to himself.

Dr. Tofu and Ranma came into the exam room. They'd just finished talking alone about how Akane was acting, and Ranma had to uncomfortably explain that morning sickness was not a possibility. He _wished_ it were a possibility, but that's another story. He'd had plenty of perverted thoughts about Akane before, but they were at the back of his mind. All he cared about at that moment was knowing that the girl he loved was all right.

Dr. Tofu talked with Akane about how she'd been feeling. He seemed concerned when she told him that she'd been feeling tired and not hungry. He examined her stomach and listened to her heart. After writing some things down, he pulled a chair over and sat down. "Akane, I want you to go to the main hospital in Nerima for some tests," he said. Ranma and Akane jumped a little at the suggestion. "I think something's wrong with your stomach. Maybe an ulcer. I can't tell with the equipment I have here. I've made an appointment for you in the morning." "Is it that serious that you need to find out right away?" Akane asked, meekly. Dr. Tofu smiled his smile that could put anyone at ease. "No big deal, Akane. I just want the best for my patients." Akane felt a little better. She stood up; Ranma took her hand to steady her. It was the first time that he'd held her hand; she didn't want to let go. "I'll be there as well, so I'll see you when you get there," Dr. Tofu added. Akane's apprehension came back. If Dr. Tofu was going, something was wrong. She squeezed Ranma's hand and felt him squeeze back. At least she knew she wasn't alone.

On the way home, they took a detour through the park. Ranma gazed at the colors in the trees. "Akane," he said, "can we have a seat and talk?" Akane was again touched by the sincerety in his voice. She sat on a nearby bench, and Ranma sat beside her.

"Akane... I'm sorry for all the bad things I've said to you. I didn't mean them, and at the time I thought it was no big deal. There were times when I realized I'd hurt your feelings and I didn't know how to tell you I was sorry."

"Oh, Ranma," she said, "don't worry about all that! I know you didn't mean it."

"Akane... I love you. I'm sorry I never said it to you before. We fought at first, but I realize now that once you came into my life, there would always be a gaping hole if you weren't there any more."

Akane felt tears of happiness in her eyes. She laid her head on Ranma's shoulder, and he put his arm around her. "You're really worried about me, aren't you?" she asked.

"It's probably nothing, but I realized... I realized that if it wasn't, or if something else happened, that I might lose you without ever telling you how I feel."

Akane wrapped her arms around him. "I love you too, Ranma." He kissed the top of her head. "I wasn't too crazy about this whole arranged marriage thing, but I guess if pop had dropped me into Furinkan High and I'd have been looking at the girls, you're the one I'd have wanted." Akane snuggled into him. How was it she could be sick and still feel better than she'd ever felt before?

When they got home, Akane told Kasumi and Soun about her appointment. Both looked concerned, and Soun and Genma left to rent a van for the drive tomorrow. Nabiki seemed unconcerned, though Ranma caught a moment where she though no one was looking, and she looked like she was near tears. To the family, though, going with Akane was just an excuse to miss school. Ranma gained some respect for Nabiki; her con-artist personality sure helped her put up a brave front.

Ranma tried his hardest, but he couldn't sleep. He prayed that Akane would be okay. He tried to imagine his life without Akane, but he couldn't. It just didn't compute in his brain. He stood quietly, tiptoed to the door, and went out into the hallway. He walked to Akane's door and opened it as quietly as he could. He looked in at Akane; in the dark, he couldn't tell if she was awake or asleep. She rolled over and looked at him. "Hi, Ranma," she whispered. He went in and closed the door behind him. "You okay, Akane?" he asked. "Worried," came the answer. "Yeah, me too," he said. He forced a chuckle. "We're probably worried about nothing. They'll get you in there and find out you ate something wrong a week ago and it's stuck in there." Akane chuckled nervously. "I hope so," she said. He brushed her cheek, leaned down, and kissed it. Akane put her arms around him, and he laid down next to her. In the comfort of eachother's arms, sleep finally came.

* * *

That morning felt so weird. It was later than school normally began, but still earlier than he'd get up on his own. The family piled into the van; Ranma sat with Akane. He kept himself occupied by trying to figure out what class they were missing. "What would it be now, third period?" he asked. Akane looked at her watch. "Yeah, I think so. We're getting out of biology right now. Blech!" "Yeah, I'm missing math," Nabiki added. "Math in the morning was the worst decision I ever made!"

Ranma took Akane's hand. A smile crossed Nabiki's face. "Don't worry, sis," she said. "Looks like Ranma's going to keep an eye on you."

Akane spent the next hour undergoing the strangest barrage of tests she'd ever seen. Drink this, lie here, breathe in, breathe out. Then came the hour of waiting in uncomfortable silence. At least Genma was thoughtful enough to go get food for everyone (though, with his appetite, he was bound to seek out food eventually anyway). Finally, Dr. Tofu and the specialist she'd seen came into the waiting room. Dr. Tofu looked unusually tired, but more importantly, he didn't notice Kasumi at all. "Akane, can we talk to you in the back?" he said.

Ranma paced for what seemed like an eternity, though according to the clock, it was four minutes and twenty-two seconds. He heard a door open, and he swung around to look. Akane stood with tears streaming down her face; Ranma rushed over to her.

"Ranma... I have cancer..."


	2. Dont leave me this way

_Author's note: Apostrophe is missing from the chapter title because it apparently breaks the software. Sorry if you're an OCD grammar-nazi like me and it bugs you._

* * *

"Ranma... I have cancer..."

Ranma stood, dumbfounded. Cancer? It... couldn't... be... He collected himself enough to throw his arms around her and hold her tight. Tears burned his eyes and fell down his cheeks, but he didn't care. Now was not the time to worry about looking macho. They held eachother in silence. Ranma only let go to let Akane hug her dad and sisters. He wandered in a circle. Genma, not great with these types of situations, held a rice ball out to him, but he shook his head. "Ranma," Genma said. He looked up. "Remember when I told you that it was your job to make your fiancee feel better when she's feeling bad?" "Yeah," Ranma answered. "You're doing all right."

They drove home in silence. Akane recalled te conversation they'd had with Dr. Tofu and the specialist when the family had gone back in with her. They were lucky... caught it early... was in an early stage... surgery... radiation... she shook her head to clear her thoughts. She felt Ranma squeeze her hand, and she squeezed back. She was so thankful that she had him to lean on. Sure the circumstances of them getting this close could have been better, but still, she couldn't imagine going through this without him. Ranma leaned in close. "You doin' okay, Akane?" he whispered. She laid her head on his shoulder. "As long as you're here," she answered. "When do you have to go for that surgery?" he asked. "Next week," she replied. "Shouldn't be any big deal," Ranma said matter-of-factly. "Didn't sound like that had to cut you open real bad or anything." "Nah," Akane said. "I'm glad it won't leave a big scar. I'd always promised I'd have children the natural way so I wouldn't have a c-section sc..." She caught herself, and felt the redness creeping into her face. She looked up at Ranma and was met with a smile. "I guess we haven't had time to talk about..." she said sheepishly. "I think we have the same idea," he replied. She smiled. Despite everything, life was pretty good.

Akane went to school the next day. Nobody there knew what was going on, which was good. The last thing Akane wanted at that moment was a barrage of questions. The other students _did_ notice how close Ranma and Akane were acting. Everyone already knew that they were engaged, though, so it served more as a moment for the girls to find cute and the guys to be jealous.

That was Thursday; Akane stayed home Friday. Ranma had never been more restless. The minute the last bell rang, Ranma was out the door at full sprint, turning over in his mind the possibility that Akane was doing worse. He was relieved when he got home, as he found Akane sitting in the garden. He sat beside her and put his arm around her, as they watched the koi jumping in the pond. "I was thinking about you today," Ranma said. Akane rubbed his arm. "Aw, quit talking like I'm dying, Ranma. I'll be fine." "Sorry," he said. Akane pulled herself up and sat in his lap, staring into his eyes. "I couldn't do this without your support," she said. "I hope you know that." "I'm just sorry I didn't tell you... how I feel... under better circumstances," he said quietly. She put her hand on his cheek. "I had my suspicions," she said, smiling. "Me too," Ranma said, and kissed her. It lasted for several seconds, and afterward, he kept his face close. It wasn't the ideal way for a first kiss to happen, but somehow, it meant more this way.

* * *

Akane felt sick all weekend, but she was well enough to watch TV in the living room. Those two days were practice-free for Ranma. For once, martial arts weren't the most important thing in his life. Akane drifted off to sleep every couple of hours; Ranma held her close. They elicited caring glances from the other members of the family; Nabiki had given up on pretending like nothing was wrong. Every time Akane woke up, Ranma gave her a soft kiss and squeezed her. He wanted her to feel loved, but it helped him, too- every time she squeezed back, he knew she was okay, if only for that moment.

Sunday night Ranma walked Akane up to her room. As she laid down, she motioned for Ranma to come near. He knelt down beside her bed. "Stay with me Ranma. I'm scared," she said. Ranma climbed in next to her and turned out the light. He put his arms around her and held her close. "Akane, I just want you to know... my life would never be the same without you. I'll be glad when you're better." "I'm not going anywhere, Ranma," she replied, before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Monday morning met them with rain and gray skies. Ranma made a point to spend every moment with Akane. The only time he was away was when she took her bath, and then he waited in the hallway, not even leaving for breakfast. Genma and Soun had another rented van, and everyone piled in. Ranma walked her out with his arm around her, hoping she wasn't cold. As they sat down in the van, Ranma kissed her again. She smiled and leaned on him; he put his arm around her as they drove off.

Akane was so nervous she was shaking. Ranma held her hand, and the family followed, as they walked into the hospital. They made their way to the part of the hospital that she'd gone to for the tests. It was familiar to her, and this was a time that familiar wasn't good. The waiting room was empty as they entered. Dr. Tofu met them there.

"Akane... are you ready?" he asked. "Yeah," Akane replied nervously. Ranma squeezed her hand. "Don't be afraid, Akane," Dr. Tofu added. "It's really no big deal. It'll be over before you know it."

Dr. Tofu led them across the hall to where Akane had to get dressed. Both Ranma and Akane had tears in their eyes as they prepared for the last time that they would see eachother until it was over. Ranma held her close and kissed the top of her head. "Akane, I'll see you in a little while. Everything's going to be all right." "I know, Ranma," she answered. "I'll get this over with, and you can quit worrying about me." She smiled.

"I love you, Akane."

"I love you, Ranma."

* * *

Ranma stood, looking out the window. They were on the sixth floor, and from here, he could see most of Tokyo. The rain had quit and the roads were starting to dry, but the sky stayed gray. He was hoping that the sun would come out before Akane came out of surgery, so that she could see the sunlight outside. He looked around the room. It had been an hour and a half since he'd left Akane's side. As he looked around, every single detail of the room seemed to jump out at him. He was certain he would never forget this place as long as he lived. Dr. Tofu came out and sat with family; Ranma rushed over.

"We're finished with the surgery," Dr. Tofu began. "_It_ went fine, but it looks like Akane had lost a little more blood than we'd thought over the past couple of weeks. Her body has some work to do to get back to normal." He took a breath. "I won't lie to you, it won't be easy for her. She... _might_ not... make it through this." His words fell like lead on everyone. Ranma glanced around at the gray, drained faces of everyone else. A tear ran down Kasumi's cheek. "She's not awake yet, it might be a while, but you can come to her room now if you'd like." "Yes!" Ranma said quickly. Dr. Tofu smiled. "She's lucky to have so many people who care about her. Come this way."

The group followed him to a hospital room on the same floor. Akane was there, sleeping. Ranma was worried that she would be unrecognizable for all the machines and tubes, but she wasn't. In fact, she looked just like when she napped at home. He wished with every fiber of his being that they could be there instead. He pulled a chair up to the side of her bed and sat, stroking her cheek. "Akane?" he whispered. She didn't move. He took her hand and kissed it softly. "Akane, I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." The others watched him, teary-eyed.

"Akane, we've only known eachother for a year or so, but in that time, I've come to love you more than I've ever loved anyone. I could never love anyone else the way I love you. You're my world." Tears started to stream down his face again; he closed his eyes and pressed her hand to his forehead. "I can't imagine running the dojo without having you there with me. I don't want to think about standing at the end of the aisle for anyone else. Please be okay, Akane. Please, sweetheart. Don't leave me this way. Not now. We have a whole life ahead of us. I love you..."

* * *

**One year later**

Ranma stood, looking off into the distance. A cold breeze blew, and a few leaves fluttered past. How... empty. He was certain that cemeteries were the loneliest places on earth. He didn't like coming to places like this, but... he had to. He wouldn't feel okay with himself if he didn't. He stared down at the block of granite in front of him. He knelt down and ran his fingers along the letters in the center: TENDO. He stood and looked off into the distance again. A sigh escaped through his lips.

...

He felt a soft hand slide into his, and heard the sweetest voice he'd ever known. "Thanks for coming with me to my mother's grave, Ranma," Akane said. Ranma turned and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. Tears burned his eyes, and he let them fall. "I'm just so glad it's not you I'm visiting here," he said. They kissed eachother softly. "I wasn't going to miss the years we were supposed to have together," she said. They let go of one another. Ranma chuckled. "Wasn't it funny how everyone asked whether it was morning sickness?" he asked. Akane played with the engagement ring on her left hand. "Well, we might have to think about that a couple of years from now," she answered, grinning. "Just tell me if you start feeling like you were before all the trouble started... I need some preparation if we're going to go through all that again!" he joked. Akane hugged him. "Count on it," she answered, "but I don't think we'll have to worry about that ever again."

He took her hand, and they walked away together. A few more leaves floated in the breeze.

* * *

_**Author's note added 31 March 2012:** So, just about an hour ago I stumbled upon something horrifying. I'd accidentally plagiarized this in a major way, though I swear it wasn't on purpose; I'd never heard of the other story until now. You see, I often have one spark of an idea, and I build the story around that. This particular story began with the idea of the last scene, where it looks like Akane died but it turned out not to be her her grave. I came up with cancer as a way of reaching that, which also allowed for the WAFFiness, which I'd hoped to make a part of the story. As I was googling for something else today, I stumbled upon a story called "Kasumi... What's Wrong?" by Ed Hrzic. You can see it at _**edo-hrzic dot com slash archive slash kasumi dot txt **_ You guessed it... in that fic, Kasumi comes down with cancer. The tone of the story is a _little_ bit different, but only a little (it has a split storyline, focusing on Kasumi as well as Ranma and Akane having a fight). As I said, I hadn't heard of that story when I wrote this; it looks like it was published on usenet, and I'm new enough to the fanfiction world that I don't know much of the stuff from usenet or the FFML. Regardless, there's far too much similarity to ignore, so it's crucial that I acknowledge Ed Hrzic and his story. I apologize deeply for ripping him off on accident; it was not my intention._


End file.
